The present invention relates to a combination confinement and remote training system that is selectable between a confinement mode than encourages an animal to remain within a predefined boundary area, a remote training mode that encourages an animal to engage in desirable activity or cease undesirable activity, and a combined remote training and confinement mode.
Animal confinement systems are known. These systems typically include a wire that is buried beneath the ground or positioned above the ground to define an area in which it is desired to confine one or more animals. The confinement wire is connected to a transmitter that operates at a predetermined frequency. A receiver, tuned to the transmitter frequency, is fitted to each animal to be kept within the confinement area. Typically, each receiver is attached to a collar that is worn by an animal. A stimulator unit, also fitted to the animal, is electrically associated with the receiver and administers a stimulus to the animal as it nears the confinement wire (i.e., the edge of a confinement boundary). The stimulus can be in the form of an audio signal, an electrical shock, or both. The audio stimulus is typically either a beep or a prerecorded message. The electrical shock is typically administered via a pair of probes that are in contact with skin of the animal so that an electrical potential difference across the probes delivers a shock to the animal. In some systems, the level of electrical stimulus delivered to the animal increases if the animal continues to approach the wire. However, the intensity of the electrical stimulus is kept within tolerable limits in order to reduce the likelihood of physical or psychological injury to the animal.
Remote training systems designed to encourage an animal to engage in desirable activity, such as retrieving an object, or cease undesirable activity, such as digging or chewing, are known. These devices typically include a hand-held remote transmitter that transmits a signal of a predetermined frequency to a receiver that is fitted to the animal. This receiver is tuned to the frequency of the hand-held transmitter and also is typically fitted to the animal by a collar. A stimulator unit, similar to that used in confinement systems, is associated with the remote trainer receiver so that it administers an audio, electrical, or combined stimulus to the animal as described above.
Some remote training systems are capable of delivering electrical stimuli of differing levels of intensity to an animal. In some of these systems, the level of electrical stimulation is adjusted by changing a resistor mounted to the collar worn by the animal. In other systems, different levels of electrical stimulation are administered by depressing different buttons on the hand-held remote transmitter. Use of varying levels of stimulation is helpful in adapting a remote training system to animals of differing temperaments as well as to animals of differing sizes.
It is often desirable to be able to both confine one or more animals within a predefined area as well as train those animals. Currently, this requires the purchase and use of two different systems, a separate confinement system and a separate remote training system. It is possible for these two systems to interfere with one another depending upon the particular frequencies at which they are operating. In addition, use of two separate systems is expensive because of the presence of such things as two separate collars and stimulator units. Furthermore, use of two separate systems is time-consuming because one receiver and stimulator unit in a collar must be removed and replaced with another in order to change between modes.
In some animal confinement systems, varying levels (i.e., intensities) of electrical stimulation can be delivered to the animal. This is also true for some remote animal training systems. Use of varying levels of stimulation is helpful in adapting a system to animals of differing temperaments as well as animals of differing sizes. There are several techniques for delivering such varying levels. In some of these systems, the level of electrical stimulation is adjusted by changing a resistor mounted to the collar worn by the animal. This technique is time consuming, requires retrieval of an animal in order to change levels, and makes training difficult. In other systems, different levels of electrical stimulation are administered by depressing different buttons on the hand-held remote transmitter. One technique increases the amplitude of the signal delivered to the animal for various levels while keeping the rate (i.e., the duration) of the signal constant. At least one problem associated with this technique is that animals often do not receive lower levels of electrical stimulation due to insufficient open-circuit output voltage between probes of a stimulator unit. This is particularly true if the collar unit is loose fitting, overly large, improperly oriented on the animal, or if the probes get dirty.
Another technique for delivering electrical signal stimuli involves the application of constant amplitude pulses at varying rates (i.e., changing the number of pulses delivered in a fixed period of time) to provide different levels of stimulation. A problem with this stimulation technique is that the dynamic range of the correction stimuli perceived by the animal is very narrow. For example, too high of a perceived electrical stimulus delivered by such a system can cause destructive results in a "fine tuned" animal.
A combined animal confinement and remote training system that solved the above problems associated with current separate systems would be a welcome improvement. Accordingly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a combined animal confinement and remote training system. This system may be selectable between a confinement only mode, a remote training only mode, and a combined remote training and confinement mode. In the combined mode, remote training, if activated, takes priority over confinement. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the system is non-selectively configured and always in the remote training and confinement mode.
One embodiment of the present invention includes a confinement wire that is buried in the ground to define a confinement area in which an animal is to be kept. The confinement wire is attached to a transmitter that transmits a modulated signal at a predetermined frequency. In an embodiment of the present invention, the transmitter is operating at a frequency of approximately 10.7 KHz. A receiver is fitted to the animal by a collar that receives signals from the confinement transmitter. A stimulator unit is also fitted to the animal by the collar. As the animal approaches the confinement wire, it receives either an audio stimulation, an electrical stimulation or a combination of both to encourage it to remain within the containment boundary. In addition, in one embodiment, the level of electrical stimulation delivered to the animal increases if the distance between the animal and confinement wire continues to decrease. In all embodiments, each level of electrical stimulation is designed to be kept within tolerable limits in order to prevent physical or psychological injury to the animal.
An embodiment of the remote trainer of the present invention also includes a remote control unit having a transmitter that transmits a modulated signal of predefined frequency via an antenna. This signal contains coded information about the stimulus to be applied as well as the stimulator unit to be activated. The collar worn by the animal also includes a remote control unit receiver tuned to the frequency of the remote control unit transmitter. In a preferred embodiment, the remote control transmitter operates at a frequency of approximately 303 MHz.
An embodiment of the remote control trainer of the present invention allows one of eight different levels of stimulation to be delivered to the animal in the form of a tone only or a tone followed by one of seven increasing levels of electrical stimulation. This allows the remote trainer of the present invention to be used on a wide variety of animals of varying temperaments and sizes.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the receiver and stimulator unit of the present invention is controlled by a processor that is programmed to decode the modulated signals transmitted by the confinement wire and remote control unit. Based upon information obtained from a decoded signal, the processor directs the stimulator unit to administer the appropriate correction stimulus to the animal. This program can be modified to change the characteristics of the stimulus delivered to the animal (e.g., intensity of the stimulus) without expensive and time-consuming disassembly of the unit, thereby making the present invention more easily modifiable and adaptable to a wider degree of applications than current hard-wired systems. In addition, as discussed above, the present invention eliminates expense and saves time through the provision of a single, integrated unit that is easily changed between modes.
An embodiment of stimulation of the present invention varies both the amplitude and rate (i.e., duration) at which corrective electrical signal stimuli are delivered to the animal at various levels. At each level, the open circuit output voltage between probes of the stimulator is of sufficient amplitude to ensure that a corrective electrical signal stimulus is delivered to the animal if the collar is properly fitted. In this embodiment, a processor is programmed to activate the electrical stimulator to produce an output voltage of appropriate amplitude and rate for the selected level of stimulation. By varying both the amplitude and rate of each level of stimulation, the present invention increases the dynamic range of stimulation perceived by the animal over conventional training systems. This allows for better animal control and training. The various amplitudes and rates of the signal are easily modified to the particular needs of a user of the system. For example, smaller animals generally require lower levels of electrical signal stimuli than larger animals. This can be achieved by, for example, lowering the amplitude of the signals administered to such smaller animals, decreasing the rate at which the signals are delivered, or a combination of both.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.